System for transferring articles from a container

ABSTRACT

An automated system for transferring articles from a container. An item transfer system includes retainers configured to secure a first tray and a second tray, a movable paddle assembly, a frame, and a plurality of actuators. The system is configured to transfer articles from the first tray to the second tray by an automated process including securing the articles within the first tray with the paddle assembly, rotating the frame by approximately 90° to 100°, moving the paddle assembly in a series of linear translations to remove the items from the first tray and place the items into the second tray, rotating the frame back to its initial orientation, and releasing the items into the second tray.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.17/146,367, filed Jan. 11, 2021, entitled “SYSTEM FOR TRANSFERRINGARTICLES FROM A CONTAINER,” which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 16/124,070, filed Sep. 6, 2018, entitled “SYSTEMFOR TRANSFERRING ARTICLES FROM A CONTAINER,” which claims the benefit ofU.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/556,233, filed Sep. 8, 2017,entitled “AUTOMATED SYSTEM FOR TRANSFERRING ARTICLES FROM A CONTAINER,”U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/575,737, filed Oct. 23, 2017,entitled “SYSTEM FOR TRANSFERRING ARTICLES FROM A CONTAINER,” and U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/632,939, filed Feb. 20, 2018,entitled “SYSTEM FOR TRANSFERRING ARTICLES FROM A CONTAINER,” all ofwhich are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety and for allpurposes.

FIELD

This disclosure relates to systems and methods for transfer of itemsbetween a first tray and a second tray.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED TECHNOLOGY

Items, such as letters, envelopes, postcards, etc., may be received,transported, transferred, processed, collected, sorted, or the like, incontainers such as trays. Items may be contained in different types oftrays at various stages of transport and processing.

SUMMARY

The systems and methods of this disclosure each have several innovativeaspects, no single one of which is solely responsible for its desirableattributes. Without limiting the scope as expressed by the claims thatfollow, its more prominent features will now be discussed briefly.

In one aspect of the systems and methods disclosed herein, a traycontent transfer system is described. The tray content transfer systemcomprises a frame configured to rotate about a rotation axis between anupright orientation and a rotated orientation; a first retainer coupledto the frame and configured to secure a first tray within the traycontent transfer system, the first tray containing one or more items; asecond retainer coupled to the frame and configured to secure a secondtray within the tray content transfer system at a location spaced fromthe first tray along a longitudinal axis parallel to the rotation axis;a paddle assembly movably coupled to the frame, the paddle assemblycomprising a plurality of paddles, wherein the distance between thepaddles is adjustable to selectively engage and release items at leastpartially disposed between the paddles, and wherein the paddle assemblyis movable relative to the frame along a first linear axis parallel tothe longitudinal axis and a second linear axis perpendicular to thefirst linear axis; and a plurality of motors configured to adjust thedistance between the paddles, to move the paddle assembly along thefirst linear axis and the second linear axis, and to rotate the frameabout the rotation axis, in a predetermined sequence to transfer the oneor more items from the first tray to the second tray.

In some embodiments, the predetermined sequence comprises, while theframe is in the upright orientation, causing the paddle assembly toengage the one or more items within the first tray; rotating the frameto the rotated orientation; moving the paddle assembly out of the firsttray along the second linear axis; moving the paddle assembly along thefirst linear axis to a position proximate the second tray; moving thepaddle assembly to a position at least partially within the second tray;rotating the frame to the upright orientation; and causing the paddleassembly to release the one or more items into the second tray. In someembodiments, the rotated orientation is rotated by at least 90° relativeto the upright orientation. In some embodiments, the paddle assemblycomprises a back plate disposed perpendicular to and at least partiallybetween the paddles such that the one or more items rest at leastpartially on the back plate when the frame is in the rotatedorientation. In some embodiments, the paddle assembly comprises aplurality of slidably offset back plates, each back plate in a fixedposition relative to one of the plurality of paddles. In someembodiments, the slidably offset back plates are at least partiallyoverlapping such that the slidably offset back plates span substantiallythe entire distance between the plurality of paddles. In someembodiments, the rotated orientation is rotated by more than 90°relative to the upright orientation, the paddle assembly furthercomprising a top plate disposed perpendicular to the back plate anddisposed perpendicular to and at least partially between the paddles,such the back plate and the top plate retain the one or more itemswithin the paddle assembly when the frame is in the rotated orientation.In some embodiments, the first retainer comprises at least one endpusher configured to space the one or more items from an inner wall ofthe first tray. In some embodiments, the end pushers are configured tosimultaneously secure the first tray relative to the frame and to spacethe one or more items from the inner wall by moving inwardly throughopenings in side walls of the first tray. In some embodiments, the traycontent transfer system further comprises a conveyor coupled to theframe, the conveyor configured to move a first tray or a second trayalong the frame parallel to the longitudinal axis while the frame is inthe upright orientation. In some embodiments, the tray content transfersystem further comprises a sensor configured to detect the presence ofthe first tray or the second tray within the tray content transfersystem, wherein the plurality of motors are configured to initiate thepredetermined sequence based at least in part on detecting the presenceof the first tray or the second tray.

In another aspect of the systems and methods disclosed herein, a methodfor transferring items from a tray is described. The method comprises,by an automated process, securing a first tray containing one or moreitems at a first location within a tray content transfer system;securing a second tray within the tray content transfer system at asecond location spaced along a longitudinal axis from the firstlocation; securing the one or more items relative to the first tray;rotating the first tray and the second tray simultaneously about arotation axis parallel to the longitudinal axis from an uprightorientation to a rotated orientation; while the first tray and thesecond tray are in the rotated orientation, moving the one or more itemsout of the first tray, moving the one or more items parallel to thelongitudinal axis to a position adjacent to the second tray, and movingthe one or more items into the second tray; rotating the first tray andthe second tray simultaneously about the rotation axis from the rotatedorientation to the upright orientation; releasing the one or more itemsinto the second tray; and releasing the first tray and the second tray.

In some embodiments, the rotated orientation is rotated by at least 90°relative to the upright orientation. In some embodiments, the methodfurther comprises engaging the one or more items between a plurality ofpaddles, wherein the one or more items remain engaged between theplurality of paddles while the first tray and the second tray are in therotated orientation. In some embodiments, the method further comprisesresting the one or more items on a substantially horizontal surfacewhile the first tray and the second tray are in the rotated orientation.In some embodiments, securing the first tray comprises fixing the firsttray relative to a frame of the tray content transfer system, andsecuring the second tray comprises fixing the second tray relative tothe frame. In some embodiments, rotating the first tray and the secondtray comprises rotating the frame about the rotation axis relative to aground surface. In some embodiments, the method is initiated based atleast in part on a detection of the presence of the first tray or thesecond tray within the tray content transfer system. In someembodiments, the second tray is an automation-compatible tray and thefirst tray is not an automation-compatible tray.

In another aspect of the systems and methods disclosed herein, a traycontent transfer apparatus is described. The tray content transferapparatus comprises means for securing a first tray and a second traywithin the tray content transfer apparatus, the first tray containingone or more items; means for engaging the one or more items within thefirst tray; means for simultaneously rotating the first tray and thesecond tray about a horizontal rotational axis between an uprightorientation and a rotated orientation; means for, while the first trayand the second tray are in the rotated orientation, removing the one ormore items from the first tray along a first horizontal path, moving theitems to a position proximate the second tray along a second horizontalpath to a position adjacent to the second tray, and moving the itemsinto the second tray along a third horizontal path parallel to the firsthorizontal path; and means for, while the first tray and the second trayare in the upright orientation, releasing the one or more items into thesecond tray.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other features of the disclosure will become morefully apparent from the following description and appended claims, takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary item processingsystem including a tray content transfer system.

FIG. 2A is a front perspective view of an exemplary tray contenttransfer system.

FIG. 2B is a rear perspective view of the tray content transfer systemof FIG. 2A.

FIG. 2C is a perspective view of a paddle assembly component of the traycontent transfer system depicted in FIGS. 2A and 2B.

FIG. 2D is a front elevation view of the tray content transfer system ofFIGS. 2A and 2B showing the axes of motion of the tray content transfersystem.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an initial state of a tray contenttransfer system during an exemplary tray content transfer process.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second state of the tray contenttransfer system of FIG. 3 during the exemplary tray content transferprocess of FIG. 3 .

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a third state of the tray contenttransfer system of FIG. 3 during the exemplary tray content transferprocess of FIGS. 3-4 .

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a fourth state of the tray contenttransfer system of FIG. 3 during the exemplary tray content transferprocess of FIGS. 3-5 .

FIGS. 7A and 7B are perspective views of a fifth state of the traycontent transfer system of FIG. 3 during the exemplary tray contenttransfer process of FIGS. 3-6 .

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a sixth state of the tray contenttransfer system of FIG. 3 during the exemplary tray content transferprocess of FIGS. 3-7 .

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a seventh state of the tray contenttransfer system of FIG. 3 during the exemplary tray content transferprocess of FIGS. 3-8 .

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an eighth state of the tray contenttransfer system of FIG. 3 during the exemplary tray content transferprocess of FIGS. 3-9 .

FIG. 11A is a rear perspective view of a ninth state of the tray contenttransfer system of FIG. 3 during the exemplary tray content transferprocess of FIGS. 3-10 .

FIG. 11B is a front perspective view of the ninth state of the traycontent transfer system of FIG. 3 during the exemplary tray contenttransfer process of FIGS. 3-11A.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a tenth state of the tray contenttransfer system of FIG. 3 during the exemplary tray content transferprocess of FIGS. 3-11B.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an eleventh state of the tray contenttransfer system of FIG. 3 during the exemplary tray content transferprocess of FIGS. 3-12 .

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a twelfth state of the tray contenttransfer system of FIG. 3 during the exemplary tray content transferprocess of FIGS. 3-13 .

FIG. 15 is a block diagram of a tray content transfer system.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method of initiatingthe transfer of items from a container.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method of transferringitems from a source tray to a process tray in a tray content transfersystem.

FIG. 18 is a front perspective view of an exemplary tray contenttransfer system.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of an initial state of a tray contenttransfer system during an exemplary tray content transfer process.

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a second state of the tray contenttransfer system of FIG. 19 during the exemplary tray content transferprocess of FIG. 19 .

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a third state of the tray contenttransfer system of FIG. 19 during the exemplary tray content transferprocess of FIGS. 19-20 .

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a fourth state of the tray contenttransfer system of FIG. 19 during the exemplary tray content transferprocess of FIGS. 19-21 .

FIG. 23A is a front perspective view of an exemplary tray contenttransfer system.

FIG. 23B is a front perspective view of an exemplary process traycompatible with the tray content transfer systems described herein.

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of an initial state of a tray contenttransfer system during an exemplary tray content transfer process.

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of a second state of the tray contenttransfer system of FIG. 24 during the exemplary tray content transferprocess of FIG. 24 .

FIG. 26 is a perspective view of a third state of the tray contenttransfer system of FIG. 24 during the exemplary tray content transferprocess of FIGS. 24-25 .

FIG. 27 is a perspective view of a fourth state of the tray contenttransfer system of FIG. 24 during the exemplary tray content transferprocess of FIGS. 24-26 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, reference is made to theaccompanying drawings. In the drawings, similar symbols typicallyidentify similar components, unless context dictates otherwise. Thus, insome embodiments, part numbers may be used for similar components inmultiple figures, or part numbers may vary from figure to figure. Theillustrative embodiments described herein are not meant to be limiting.Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made,without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matterpresented. It will be readily understood that the aspects of the presentdisclosure and illustrated in the figures, can be arranged, substituted,combined, and designed in a wide variety of different configurations bya person of ordinary skill in the art, all of which are made part ofthis disclosure.

Reference in the specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment”, or“in some embodiments” means that a particular feature, structure, orcharacteristic described in connection with the embodiment is includedin at least one embodiment of the invention. Moreover, the appearance ofthese or similar phrases throughout the specification does notnecessarily mean that these phrases all refer to the same embodiment,nor are separate or alternative embodiments necessarily mutuallyexclusive. Various features are described herein which may be exhibitedby some embodiments and not by others. Similarly, various requirementsare described which may be requirements for some embodiments but may notbe requirements for other embodiments.

In processing items in a distribution network, items can be transportedin containers, such as trays. Items such as letters, postcards,envelopes, or other stackable items may be received, transported, andprocessed in trays. In some item processing implementations, two or moredifferent types of trays may be used. For example, items may be receivedin a first type of tray which may be optimized for transport of itemsoutside of a processing facility (e.g., may be flexible, lightweight,inexpensive to manufacture, sized and shaped to fit in an itemcollection system, or the like). When a tray of items is received at aprocessing facility, a second type of tray may be better suited fortransport of the items within the facility for processing. For example,a second type of tray may be configured to be compatible with automatedprocessing machinery at the processing facility (e.g., may havestructural features designed to interact with particular processingmachines and/or may be more rigid or dimensionally stable to facilitateautomated processing of items). Thus, items received in the first typeof tray may need to be transferred to the second type of tray before atleast a portion of the desired processing occurs.

Transferring items between trays such as from soft-sided intake trays torigid automation-friendly processing trays can be performed manually.Manual transfer of items from a first tray to a second tray can betime-consuming and imprecise. Items may be dropped while being manuallytransferred, for example, while an operator is moving a horizontallyoriented stack of letters by exerting an inward pressure on the ends ofthe stack. In another example, items such as letters may be received ina uniformly faced arrangement, and operator error during transfer maycause some of the letters to face the opposite direction after transfer,resulting in processing errors or delays.

The tray content transfer systems disclosed herein are configured toprovide an automated process for transferring items from a first tray toa second tray. In some embodiments, the tray content transfer systemsmay transfer items more reliably, efficiently, cost-effectively, and/orquickly than existing manual methods of tray content transfer. Althoughthe present disclosure describes tray content transfer systems in thecontext of trays and flat items such as letter mail, it will beunderstood that other containers and items can be used without departingfrom the scope of the present disclosure.

Generally described, embodiments of the systems described herein use acombination of rotational and linear motion to reliably and efficientlytransfer items between a source tray, such as a letter tray, and aprocess tray better suited for use with further processing of the items,such as a rigid tray. For example, the items may be transferred to anautomation-compatible tray from a source tray that is not anautomation-compatible tray. In some embodiments, a loaded source trayand an empty process tray are secured within a rotatable frame while theframe is in an upright orientation. A paddle assembly descends to aposition partially within the loaded source tray, such that the contentsof the source tray are between the paddles of the paddle assembly, andsqueezes the paddles together to gently clasp or otherwise engage thecontents. The frame then rotates approximately 90° to 100° to a rotatedorientation such that the contents are resting on a rear surface of thepaddle assembly and not on the bottom surface of the source tray. Thepaddle assembly then moves linearly out of the source tray, moveslinearly to a position adjacent to the process tray, and moves linearlyinto the process tray such that the contents are generally within theprocess tray. The frame then rotates back to the upright orientation andthe paddles are moved apart to release the contents into the processtray. The combination of rotational and linear motion can advantageouslyallow the transfer system to move articles such as letters from a firsttray to a second tray without lifting or suspending the articles over aspace between the trays, where articles may be lost if dropped.

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an example item processing system 100including a tray content transfer system 105. The item processing system100 further includes a source tray intake 110, processing apparatus 120,an empty source tray collection 130, and an empty process tray supply140. Trays can be transferred between the components of the itemprocessing system 100 by an intake flow path 115, an output flow path125, an empty source tray flow path 135, and an empty process tray flowpath 145. Each of the flow paths 115, 125, 135, 145 can be a conveyor,such as a moving conveyor belt surface, a series of rollers, or anyother conveying system configured to move one or more trays laterallyand/or vertically.

The source tray intake 110 can include one or more devices or systemsfor providing item-containing source trays. For example, the source trayintake 110 can include a loading dock where item-containing trays arereceived from transport vehicles for processing. In some embodiments,the source tray intake 110 can be an output of another process to beperformed before tray content transfer. For example, in some letter mailprocessing embodiments, the source tray intake 110 may include afacer-canceler system configured to apply a cancellation to letters andplace the letters in a uniformly faced horizontal stack within sourcetrays.

The processing apparatus 120 can include one or more devices or systemsfor processing the items after tray content transfer. For example, theprocessing apparatus 120 can include any number of machines configuredto scan, weigh, measure, sort, order, combine, separate, analyze, orotherwise process the items. In some letter mail processing embodiments,the processing apparatus 120 can include one or more machines forautomatically reading information provided on the letters (e.g., postageinformation, destination address, return address, etc.) and/or sortingthe letters for further transportation.

The empty source tray collection 130 and empty process tray supply caninclude one or more lines, piles, stacks, carts, dispensers, receivers,or other structures capable of holding a plurality of trays. Forexample, the empty source tray collection 130 may include a trayreceiving system located at an end of the empty source tray flow path135 for receiving and stacking or otherwise organizing empty sourcetrays to be reused for transporting additional items. The empty processtray supply 140 can include one or more stacks, dispensers, or the like,for placing empty process trays into the empty process tray flow path145 for delivery to the tray content transfer system 105.

In an exemplary method of operation, the tray content transfer system105 receives an item-containing source tray from the source tray intake110 via the intake flow path 115, and receives an empty process trayfrom the empty process tray supply 140 via the empty process tray flowpath 145. At the tray content transfer system 105, the items in thesource tray are transferred from the source tray to the empty processtray. After the transfer, the process tray contains the items previouslyreceived in the source tray. The item-containing process tray is thensent to the processing apparatus 120 via the output flow path 125. Theempty source tray is sent to the empty source tray collection 130 viathe empty source tray flow path 135. After the source tray and processtray leave the tray content transfer system 105, the example method canbe repeated with a second item-containing source tray and a second emptyprocess tray.

The exemplary method described above with reference to FIG. 1 can berepeated any number of times or indefinitely, for example, based on adesired number or rate of item-containing source trays received forprocessing. In some embodiments, the tray content transfer system 105can be configured to transfer the contents of two or more source traysto a single process tray, to transfer the contents of a single sourcetray to two or more process trays, or to transfer the contents of two ormore source trays to two or more process trays simultaneously. Inaddition, various components of the item processing system 100 can beautomated and/or performed manually. For example, any of the flow paths115, 125, 135, 145 can be performed manually at least in part, such asby an operator manually placing one or more loaded or empty trays onto aconveyor or directly into the tray content transfer system 105.

FIGS. 2A-2D depict a tray content transfer system 200 in accordance withan exemplary embodiment. FIGS. 2A and 2B are front and rear perspectiveviews of the tray content transfer system 200 in an empty state. FIG. 2Cis a rear perspective view of a paddle assembly 240, a component of thetray content transfer system 200. FIG. 2D is a front elevation view ofthe tray content transfer system 200 containing a source tray 280 and aprocess tray 290, illustrating three axes of motion within the traycontent transfer system 200. The tray content transfer system 200generally includes an outer frame 210, a rotation frame 220 movablymounted at least partially within the outer frame 210, and the paddleassembly 240 movably mounted on the rotation frame 220.

The outer frame 210 is generally configured to provide a stable supportfor the rotation frame 220. The outer frame 210 includes variousstructural members 212 arranged to form a substantially rigid framestructure, two pivot points 214, and two vertical tracks 216. As will bedescribed with reference to the rotation frame 220, the pivot points 214and the vertical tracks 216 are configured to accommodate and/or atleast partially actuate rotational motion of the rotation frame 220about a rotation axis defined by the two pivot points 214. In variousembodiments, the outer frame 210 can be any size, shape, orconfiguration suitable to support the rotation frame 220. For example,the outer frame 210 can be built into a wall, a shelf, a floor, or thelike, and need not be a free-standing rectangular frame as shown in thefigures.

The rotation frame 220 includes a horizontal sub-frame 222 and avertical sub-frame 224 rigidly and perpendicularly mounted to thehorizontal sub-frame 222. The horizontal sub-frame 222 is configured toreceive and secure a source tray 280 and a process tray 290, as will bedescribed herein below with reference to FIG. 2D. Two slidable endpushers 226 are mounted in a spaced configuration on the horizontalsub-frame 222 to act as a retainer for a source tray 280, such that asource tray, for example, a plastic postal tray, can be placed betweenthe end pushers 226 and secured to the horizontal sub-frame 222 bysliding the end pushers 226 inward such that the end-pushers 226 extendthrough holes in the sidewalls of the source tray 280. The inner ends ofthe end-pushers 226 can be squared, or may be rounded, chamfered,beveled, filleted, bullet-shaped, or otherwise shaped so as tofacilitate entry of the end pushers 226 into the holes of source trays280, for example, to accommodate incorrect alignment of a source tray280 with the end pushers 226. In some embodiments, the end pushers 226may be external clamps that do not pass through holes in the source tray280. Brackets 223 may be provided to facilitate horizontal alignment ofthe trays. Actuators may be provided within the system 200 (e.g.,attached to the horizontal sub-frame 222) to move the end pushers 226.

Process tray clamps 228 are provided as a retainer for securing aprocess tray 290 to the horizontal sub-frame 222. The process trayclamps 228 further include compressible feet 230 (e.g., rubber discs orthe like), and are mounted in a spaced configuration on the horizontalsub-frame 222 such that a process tray 290, for example, a rigidautomation-friendly processing tray, can be placed between the processtray clamps 228 and secured to the horizontal sub-frame 222 by slidingthe process tray clamps 228 inward until they contact opposing sides ofthe process tray 290. The compressible feet 230 can provide an inwardpressure and static friction against opposite sides of the process tray290 to hold the process tray 290 in place. Actuators may be providedwithin the system 200 (e.g., attached to the horizontal sub-frame 222)to move the process tray clamps 228. In some embodiments, one or moreconveyors 221 are located on or near the horizontal sub-frame 222 andconfigured to slide a process tray 290 when the process tray 290 islocated at least partially on the conveyors 221. The conveyors 221 maybe reversible, for example, so that they can travel in a first directionbefore a transfer to pull a process tray 290 from an external conveyorsystem (e.g., an automated tray transport system or the like) into asuitable position between the process tray clamps 228, and can travel ina second direction after completing a transfer to push the process tray290 back out to the external conveyor system. It will be understood thatone or more additional conveyors similar to conveyors 221 may similarlybe implemented for source trays 280.

The vertical sub-frame 224 of the rotation frame 220 is generallyconfigured to support and move the paddle assembly 240. A horizontaltranslation platform 232 is slidably mounted to a horizontal trackmember 234 of the vertical sub-frame 224 to accommodate horizontalmovement of the paddle assembly 240. A vertical translation platform 236is slidably mounted to two vertical track members 238 of the horizontaltranslation platform 232 to accommodate vertical movement of the paddleassembly 240. Movement of the horizontal translation platform 232 alongthe horizontal track member 234 and movement of the vertical translationplatform 236 along the vertical track members 238 can occurindependently, and may be controlled by one or more motors.

The rotation frame 220 is configured to rotate relative to the outerframe 210 as indicated by arrow 251 in FIGS. 2A and 2B. Thus, therotation frame 220 further includes two rotation hinges 250 and twovertical sliders 252 connected to the horizontal sub-frame 222 by legs254 coupled to the horizontal sub-frame 222 at leg hinges 256. When therotation frame 220 is to be rotated, the vertical sliders 252 can bedriven upward along the vertical tracks 216, for example, by one or moremotors, applying a generally upward force on the horizontal sub-frame222. The generally upward force on the horizontal sub-frame 222 causes atorque at the axis of rotation along the pivot points 214, such that therotation frame 220 rotates backward (e.g., clockwise in the perspectiveview of FIG. 2A) about the axis of rotation. The hinges 250 interlockwith the pivot points 214 to secure the rotation frame 220 to the outerframe 210 along the axis of rotation. The rotation frame 220 may have amaximum range of rotational motion, for example, defined between thepositions of the rotation frame 220 when the vertical sliders 252 are atthe bottom and top ends of the vertical tracks 216.

The paddle assembly 240, as shown in FIGS. 2A-2C, includes two paddles242, top plates 244, and back plates 245. The paddle assembly 240 can bemade of any substantially rigid material, for example, a metal such assheet aluminum or steel, a hard plastic, or the like. In someembodiments, at least a portion of the paddle assembly 240, for example,top plates 244 and/or back plates 245, may comprise a less rigidmaterial such as cardboard, corrugated plastic, or the like. In theexample embodiment depicted in FIGS. 2A-2D, each top plate 244 isadjacent to and overlapping the other top plate 244, and each back plate245 is adjacent to and overlapping the other back plate 245, such thatthe top plates 244 and back plates 245 can remain in contact and spansubstantially the entire distance between the paddles 242 as the paddles242 slide together or apart.

A paddle slider 246 is slidably mounted to a paddle assembly trackmember 248 of the vertical translation platform 236. The paddle slider246 is rigidly coupled to one of the paddles 242, such that motion ofthe paddle slider 246 along the paddle assembly track member 248 causesthe paddle 242 to move inward or outward relative to the other paddle242. In some embodiments, both paddles 242 can be movable inward andoutward, or one of the paddles 242 can be stationary with the distancebetween the paddles adjusted by moving a single paddle 242 relative tothe other paddle 242.

Each paddle 242 is a generally planar surface disposed perpendicular tothe top plates 244 and back plates 245. The paddles 242 include anglededges 241, providing a reduced paddle width at the lower end of thepaddles 242 to facilitate placement of the paddle into a tray. Forexample, in embodiments compatible with corrugated plastic postal lettertrays as source trays 280, the angled edges 241 may be configured tosubstantially match the angle of the sidewalls of the letter trays. Eachpaddle 242 further includes a cutout 243 extending upward from a bottomedge of the paddle 242. The cutout 243 has a width slightly larger thanthe width of the end pushers 226 of the rotation frame 220, such that anend pusher 226 can be accommodated within the cutout 243 and avoidimpeding downward motion of the paddle 242 when the paddle 242 islowered into a source tray 280. In various embodiments, the paddles 242can have other sizes and/or shapes to conform with source trays 280 ofany size or shape.

Referring now to FIG. 2D, the components described above with referenceto FIGS. 2A-2C can move the paddles 242 of the paddle assembly 240 alongseveral axes within the reference frame of the rotation frame 220.Horizontal translation along an axis 233 of the paddle assembly 240 canbe achieved by moving the horizontal translation platform 232 along thehorizontal track member 234. Vertical translation along an axis 237 ofthe paddle assembly 240 can be achieved by moving the verticaltranslation platform 236 along the vertical track members 238. Squeezingof the paddles 242 along an axis 247 can be achieved by moving thepaddle slider 246 along the paddle assembly track member 248. Acombination of movements along axes 233, 237, and 247 can be used totransfer items from the source tray 280 to the process tray 290.

Referring generally to FIGS. 2A-2D, motion of any of the moving partsdescribed herein, for example, end pushers 226, process tray clamps 228,horizontal translation along the axis 233, vertical translation alongthe axis 237, squeezing of the paddles 242 along the axis 247, and/orrotation of the rotation frame 220 within the outer frame, can be drivenby any number of motors 260, and can be selectively controlled and/orinhibited by mechanical brakes configured to stop and/or prevent motionalong any of the movement axes described herein. The motors 260 and/orbrakes can be controlled by one or more controllers, which may includecomputer components such as one or more processors, memory or otherstorage media, network or other communication interfaces, and/or othercircuitry. In some embodiments, a memory of the controller storescomputer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processorand/or other circuitry of the controller, directly or indirectly causethe motors and/or brakes to move in a predetermined sequence. Thepredetermined sequence can include, for example, a tray content transferprocess such as the process described below with reference to FIGS. 3-14.

FIGS. 3-14 sequentially illustrate an example process for transferringthe contents of a source tray 280 to a process tray 290. Although theprocess of FIGS. 3-14 is shown and described in the context of the traycontent transfer system 200 depicted in FIGS. 2A-2D, it will beappreciated that the same or similar steps may be implemented in anyother tray content transfer system.

FIG. 3 depicts an initial state of the tray content transfer process. Inthe initial state, a source tray 280 contains items 205. The items canbe, for example, letters, flats, etc. In the initial state of FIG. 3 ,the source tray 280 has been placed onto the horizontal sub-frame 222 ofthe rotation frame 220 between the end pushers 226, which are in an openconfiguration. An empty process tray 290 has been placed in thehorizontal sub-frame 222 between the process tray clamps 228, which arein an open configuration. As described above with reference to FIG. 1 ,the source tray 280 and the process tray 290 may have been placed intheir respective locations manually or automatically, for example, beingplaced into the tray content transfer system 200 by one or moreconveyors, rollers, ramps, robotic arms, paddles, pushers, or otherautomated tray placement mechanism. The paddle assembly 240 is locatedabove the source tray 280 with the paddles in an open configuration. Therotation frame 220 is in an upright configuration.

In the example tray content transfer process, the source tray 280 is acorrugated plastic postal letter tray for the transportation of lettermail. The process tray 290 is a rigid plastic automation-friendly trayincluding various features optimized for transfer of the items 205between various letter processing machinery located elsewhere. The items205 stacked within the source tray 280 are to be transferred to theprocess tray 290. In some embodiments, the items 205 may already beuniformly faced (that is, selectively flipped such that the postage andaddress of each item in the stack faces the same direction). Thus, it isdesirable for the tray content transfer process to maintain the uniformfacing of the items 205 during transfer.

Referring now to FIG. 4 , after the source tray 280 and the process tray290 have been placed into the tray content transfer system 200, the endpushers 226 move inward through holes 282 in the ends of the source tray280, such that a portion of each end pusher 226 extends into theinterior space of the source tray 280. At an intermediate point alongthe inward trajectory of the end pushers 226, they contact the stack ofitems 205. With continued inward motion, the end pushers 226 cancompress the stack of items 205, causing the items 205 to move to a morevertical orientation. In compressing the stack, the end pushers 226 pushthe items 205 toward the middle of the source tray 280 and away from theends, creating a space between the items 205 and the interior end walls284 of the source tray 280. In various embodiments, the inward distancetraveled by each end pusher 226 can be, for example, 1 inch, 2 inches, 3inches, 4 inches, or more.

In addition, the process tray clamps 228 move inward against the processtray 290 to secure the process tray 290 in position.

After the end pushers 226 are inserted, the process continues to theconfiguration shown in FIG. 5 . As shown in FIG. 5 , the verticaltranslation platform 236 slides downward along the axis 237, along thevertical track members 238 such that the paddle assembly 240 movesdownward along the axis 237 to a location partially within the sourcetray 280. The paddles 242 of the paddle assembly 240 are spaced suchthat each paddle 242 descends into one of the empty spaces between theitems 205 and an interior end wall 284 of the source tray 280. The endpushers 226 are accommodated within the cutouts 243 (shown in FIG. 2C)of the paddles 242 such that lower ends of the paddles 242 can descendto a position at or near the bottom of the source tray 280 (e.g., within1 inch, ½ inch, ¼ inch, or closer). Thus, in the state shown in FIG. 5 ,the stack of items 205 is disposed between the two paddles 242.

After the paddle assembly 240 is lowered into the source tray 280, theprocess continues to the configuration shown in FIG. 6 . As shown inFIG. 6 , the paddle slider 246 has moved inward along the axis 247 alongthe paddle assembly track member 248 such that the top plates 244 slideover each other and at least one of the paddles 242 moves inward tosqueeze the paddles 242 closer together. The paddles 242 can be movedtogether a suitable distance such that each paddle 242 is in contactwith an end of the stack of items 205. In some embodiments, the endpushers 226 can move outward a short distance so as to reduce the inwardpressure on the stack. In the state shown in FIG. 6 , the items 205 aresubstantially confined between the paddles 242, the bottom of the sourcetray 280, and the top plates 244 and back plates 245 of the paddleassembly 240.

After the paddles 242 move inward to contain the stack of items 205, theprocess continues to the configuration shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B. Asshown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the entire rotation frame 220 has rotatedbackward about the axis of rotation between the hinges 250. In someembodiments, the rotation frame 220 rotates approximately 90° or more,for example, any angle within the range of approximately 95°, 100°,105°, or more, such that the horizontal sub-frame 222 is in a generallyvertical orientation (e.g., angled between approximately 70° and 90°relative to the outer frame 210 and/or the ground) and the verticalsub-frame 224 is in a generally horizontal orientation (e.g., angledbetween approximately 0° and 20° relative to the outer frame 210 and/orthe ground). In some embodiments, the rotation frame 220 can rotate lessthan 90°, for example, in the range of 85°, 80°, 75°, or less. Rotationof the rotation frame 220 may be actuated by one or more motors, forexample, pushing the vertical sliders 252 upward along the verticaltracks 216 to impart a rotational force about the rotation hinges 250through the legs 254.

As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the components within the rotation frame220 and paddle assembly 240 are in substantially the same configurationas in the state shown in FIG. 6 . After rotation of the rotation frame220, the items 205 are generally resting on the back plates 245 (notvisible in FIGS. 7A and 7B) of the paddle assembly 240. If the endpushers 226 did not move partially outward at the stage depicted in FIG.6 , the end pushers 226 can move outward to reduce the pressure exertedagainst the items 205. It may be desirable for the end pushers 226 toremain partially inserted such that at least a portion of the endpushers still extends through the holes 282 to prevent the source tray280 from falling out of position.

After rotation of the rotation frame 220, the process continues to theconfiguration shown in FIG. 8 . As shown in FIG. 8 , the verticaltranslation platform 236 has slid back along the axis 237, along thevertical track members 238 such that the paddle assembly 240 and items205 held therein withdraw from the source tray 280. Generally, thepaddle assembly 240 travels a distance sufficient to allow all items 205and the paddles 242 to be outside of the inner space defined by thesource tray 280. In some aspects, the step of withdrawing the items 205from the source tray 280 may be facilitated when the angle of rotationin FIGS. 7A and 7B is greater than 90°, as the back plates 245 (notvisible in FIG. 8 ) are sloped downward away from the source tray 280such that a letter 205 that may fall out of the stack will tend to fallinto the paddle assembly 240, rather than into the space between thepaddle assembly 240 and the source tray 280 where the letter 205 couldbe lost.

After sliding of the vertical translation platform 236, the processcontinues to the configuration shown in FIG. 9 . As shown in FIG. 9 ,after the items 205 are withdrawn from the source tray 280, thehorizontal translation platform 232 has traveled along the axis 233,along the horizontal track member 234 to move the paddle assembly 240containing items 205 to a position adjacent to the process tray 290.During the horizontal translation, the items 205 are held in placerelative to the paddle assembly 240 by the paddles 242 and the backplates 245 (not visible in FIG. 9 ). After the paddle assembly 240 ismoved horizontally to a position adjacent to the process tray 290, theprocess continues to the state depicted in FIG. 10 .

As shown in FIG. 10 , the vertical translation platform 236 has movedalong the axis 237, along the vertical track members 238 to position thepaddle assembly 240 and items 205 at least partially within the processtray 290. The direction and distance traveled by the verticaltranslation platform 236 may be similar or identical to the directionand distance traveled by the vertical translation platform 236 betweenFIG. 4 and FIG. 5 . After the items 205 and paddle assembly 240 havebeen moved into the process tray 290 as shown in FIG. 10 , the processcontinues to the state depicted in FIGS. 11A and 11B.

As shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, the entire rotation frame 220 has rotatedforward about the hinges 250 along the axis between the pivot points214. In some embodiments, the rotation frame 220 travels the sameangular distance traveled between FIG. 6 and FIGS. 7A and 7B (e.g., 90°,95°, 100°, 105° or more) such that the rotation frame 220 is returned toits initial rotational state. Thus, the horizontal sub-frame 222 isagain in a generally horizontal orientation, and the vertical sub-frame224 is again in a generally vertical orientation. Rotation of therotation frame 220 back to its initial rotational state may be actuatedby one or more motors, for example, pushing the vertical sliders 252downward along the vertical tracks 216 to impart a rotational forceabout the rotation hinges 250 through the legs 254.

As shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, the components within the rotation frame220 and paddle assembly 240 are in substantially the same configurationas the state shown in FIG. 10 . After rotation of the rotation frame220, the items 205 are generally resting on the bottom interior surfaceof the process tray 290. After rotation of the rotation frame 220 asshown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, the process continues to the configurationshown in FIG. 12 .

Referring now to FIG. 12 , the paddle slider 246 has moved outward alongthe axis 247, along the paddle assembly track member 248 such that atleast one of the paddles 242 moves outward (e.g., away from the otherpaddle 242) to release the stack of items 205, allowing the items 205 torest on the bottom interior surface of the process tray 290 withoutbeing held in a vertical orientation by the paddles 242. After thepaddles 242 move outward, the process continues to the configurationshown in FIG. 13 .

Referring now to FIG. 13 , the vertical translation platform 236 slidesupward along axis 237, along the vertical track members 238 such thatthe paddle assembly 240 moves upward to a position clear of the items205 and the process tray 209. In some embodiments, the verticaltranslation platform 236 can move fully upward to its initial verticalposition as shown in FIG. 3 . Once the paddles 242 are removed from theprocess tray 290 and the items 205 fall into a slanted stack within theprocess tray 290, the items 205 and process tray 290 are in a suitableconfiguration for further processing.

Continuing to FIG. 14 , the tray content transfer system returns to itsinitial state such that the source tray 280 and process tray 290 can beremoved. The horizontal translation platform 232 travels along thehorizontal track member 234 to move the paddle assembly 240 back to itsinitial position above the source tray 280 as shown in FIG. 3 . The endpushers 226 and process tray clamps 228 move outward to release thesource tray 280 and process tray 290. Accordingly, the now-empty sourcetray 280 and the process tray 290 containing the items 205 can beremoved from the tray content transfer system 200, and the tray contenttransfer process can be repeated indefinitely as additional source trays280 arrive with contents to be transferred.

FIG. 15 is a block diagram of a tray content transfer system 1500 inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment. The system 1500 includes asensor 1510 in communication with a CPU 1520. The CPU 1520 is further incommunication with a memory 1530 and actuators including actuator 11540, actuator 2 1550, actuator 3 1560, actuator 4 1570, actuator 51580, and actuator 6 1590. Although the system 1500 is depicted ashaving 6 actuators, the number of actuators in various embodiments canbe greater or smaller than 6, for example, based on the number of partsto be moved in any particular embodiment of the system 1500.

The sensor 1510 is configured to detect the presence of one or morecontainers or other objects within the system 1500. For example, thesensor 1510 can be configured to detect the presence of a source trayand/or a process tray before initiating a transfer process. In variousimplementations, the sensor 1510 can include one or more proximitysensors, profile sensors, pressure sensors, force sensors, scales,cameras, optical pattern recognition devices such as barcode scanners,light gates, or the like. In some embodiments, the sensor 1510 caninclude a manually activated device, such as a button, configured toproduce a signal indicating that a source tray and a process tray havebeen loaded into the system 1500. In some embodiments, the sensor 1510can include a first sensor configured to detect the presence of a sourcetray and a second sensor configured to detect the presence of a processtray.

The CPU 1520 is configured to control and receive input from the sensor1510, the memory 1530, and the actuators 1540, 1550, 1560, 1570, 1580,1590. The memory 1530 can store data received from the CPU 1520 and senddata stored therein to the CPU 1520. Examples of information that may bereceived and stored in the memory 1530 include, for example, informationreceived at the CPU 1520 from the sensor 1510, information received atthe CPU from the actuators 1540, 1550, 1560, 1570, 1580, 1590, and oneor more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the CPU1520, cause the CPU to selectively activate and/or deactivate theactuators 1540, 1550, 1560, 1570, 1580, 1590 in a predetermined sequenceto transfer items from a source tray to a process tray.

The actuators 1540, 1550, 1560, 1570, 1580, 1590 can be electronicallycontrollable actuators each coupled to and configured to move one ormore mechanical components of the system 1500. Each actuator 1540, 1550,1560, 1570, 1580, 1590 can include one or more electric motors,hydraulic cylinders, pneumatic actuators, screw jacks, servos,solenoids, or the like. In the exemplary tray content transfer system200 depicted in FIGS. 2A-2D, the actuators may be arranged such thatactuator 1 1540 is configured to move the end pushers 226 inward andoutward to secure and release a source tray 280, actuator 2 1550 isconfigured to move the process tray clamps 228 inward and outward tosecure and release a process tray 290, actuator 3 1560 is configured tomove the vertical sliders 252 up and down the vertical tracks 216 torotate the rotation frame 220 between upright and rotated orientations,actuator 4 1570 is configured to slide the horizontal translationplatform 232 along axis 233 on the horizontal track member 234, actuator5 1580 is configured to slide the vertical translation platform 236along axis 237 on the vertical track members 238, and actuator 6 1590 isconfigured to slide the paddle slider 246 along axis 247 on the paddleassembly track member 248.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method 1600 ofinitiating the transfer of items from a container. The method 1600 canbe performed by a computer system integrated within a system such as thetray content transfer system 1500 depicted in FIGS. 2A-15 .

The method 1600 begins with block 1610, where the system 1500 beginsreceiving information from the sensor 1510. The information can be anelectrical signal indicating that a source tray and/or a process trayhave or have not been detected within the system 1500. When the system1500 has begun receiving information from the sensor 1510, the method1600 continues to decision state 1620.

At decision state 1620, the method 1600 determines whether a source trayhas been detected. For example, the CPU 1520 can analyze a signalreceived from the sensor 1510 configured to detect the presence of asource tray within the system 1500 at a suitable location fortransferring items from the source tray. If the method 1600 determinesthat a source tray has not been detected, the method 1600 continues toblock 1625, where the method 1600 waits for a source tray to be detectedand returns to decision state 1620. If the method 1600 determines that asource tray has been detected, the method continues to decision state1630.

At decision state 1630, the method 1600 determines whether a processtray has been detected. For example, the CPU 1520 can analyze a signalreceived from the sensor 1510 configured to detect the presence of aprocess tray within the system 1500 at a suitable location for receivingitems transferred from the source tray. If the method 1600 determinesthat a process tray has not been detected, the method 1600 continues toblock 1635, where the method 1600 waits for a process tray to bedetected and returns to decision state 1630. If the method 1600determines that a process tray has been detected, the method 1600continues to block 1640. At block 1640, the method 1600 terminates byinitiating the transfer of items from the source tray to the processtray.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method 1700 oftransferring items from a source tray to a process tray in a traycontent transfer system. The method 1700 can be initiated at block 1640of the method 1600 depicted in FIG. 1600 . The method 1700 can beperformed by a computer integrated within a tray content transfer systemsuch as the systems 200 and 1500 depicted in FIGS. 2A-15 .

The method 1700 begins at block 1710, where the source tray 280 andprocess tray 290 are secured within the tray content transfer system200, 1500. Securing the source tray 280 and the process tray 290 caninclude moving the end pushers 226 and the process tray clamps 228inward to secure the source tray 280 and the process tray 290 to thehorizontal sub-frame 222. The end pushers 226 and process tray clamps228 can be moved inward by actuators such as actuator 1 1540 andactuator 2 1550 based on instructions provided by the CPU 1520. Afterthe source tray 280 and the process tray 290 are secured within thesystem 200, 1500, the method 1700 continues to block 1720.

At block 1720, the items 205 within the source tray 280 are secured. Forexample, the items 205 can be secured by moving one or both of thepaddles 242 inward, such as by moving the paddle slider 246 along axis247 on the paddle assembly track member 247 to move the paddles 242closer together and engage the items 250 between the paddles 242. Thepaddles 242 can be moved by actuators such as actuator 6 1590 based oninstructions provided by the CPU 1520. After the items 205 within thesource tray 280 are secured, the method 1700 continues to block 1730.

At block 1730, the rotation frame 220 is rotated to a rotatedorientation. For example, the rotation frame 220 can be rotated bymoving vertical sliders 252 up the vertical tracks 216 such that therotation frame 220 rotates about the hinges 250 by an angle ofapproximately 90° or more, and the items 205 are at least partiallysupported by the back plates 245 of the paddle assembly 240. Therotation frame 220 can be rotated by actuators such as actuator 3 1560based on instructions provided by the CPU 1520. After the rotation frame220 is rotated to a rotated orientation, the method 1700 continues toblock 1740.

At block 1740, the items 205 are moved from the source tray 280 to theprocess tray 290. For example, the items 205 can be moved from thesource tray 280 to the process tray 290 by first, sliding the verticaltranslation platform 236 away from the source tray 280 along axis 237 onthe vertical track members 238, second, sliding the horizontaltranslation platform 232 along axis 233 on the horizontal track member234 such that the paddle assembly 240 containing items 205 is positionednear or adjacent to the process tray 290, and third, sliding thevertical translation platform 236 toward the process tray 280 along axis237 on the vertical track members 238 such that the paddle assembly 240and items 205 are at least partially within the process tray 290. Thehorizontal translation platform 232 and the vertical translationplatform 236 can be moved by actuators such as actuator 4 1570 andactuator 5 1580, based on instructions provided by the CPU 1520. Afterthe items 205 are moved from the source tray 280 to the process tray290, the method 1700 continues to block 1750.

At block 1750, the rotation frame 220 is rotated to an uprightorientation. For example, the rotation frame 220 can be rotated bymoving vertical sliders 252 back down the vertical tracks 216 such thatthe rotation frame 220 rotates about the hinges 250 by the same angle ofrotation as in block 1730. After the rotation frame 220 is rotated backto an upright orientation, some or all of the items 205 may remainsuspended above the process tray 290 by the paddles 242, and/or some orall of the items 205 may begin to fall into the process tray, dependingon the clasping force exerted against the items 205 by the paddles 242.The rotation frame 220 can be rotated by actuators such as actuator 31560 based on instructions provided by the CPU 1520. After the rotationframe 220 is rotated to an upright orientation, the method 1700continues to block 1760.

At block 1760, the items 205 are released into the process tray 290. Forexample, the items 205 can be released by moving one or both of thepaddles 242 outward, such as by moving the paddle slider 246 along axis247 on the paddle assembly track member 247 to move the paddles 242further apart and cease to clasp the items 250 between the paddles 242.The paddles 242 can be moved by actuators such as actuator 6 1590 basedon instructions provided by the CPU 1520. After the items 205 arereleased into the process tray, the method 1700 continues to block 1770.

The method 1700 terminates at block 1770, where the source tray 280 andprocess tray 290 are released within the tray content transfer system200, 1500. Releasing the source tray 280 and the process tray 290 caninclude moving the end pushers 226 and the process tray clamps 228outward to release the source tray 280 and the process tray 290 from thehorizontal sub-frame 222. The end pushers 226 and process tray clamps228 can be moved outward by actuators such as actuator 1 1540 andactuator 2 1550 based on instructions provided by the CPU 1520. Afterthe source tray 280 and the process tray 290 are released from thesystem 200, 1500, the method 1700 terminates. The source tray 280 andthe process tray 290 can be removed from the system manually or by oneor more automated systems.

FIG. 18 is a front perspective view of a tray content transfer system1800 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. The tray contenttransfer system 1800 generally includes a frame 1810, an item platform1830, a source tray platform 1840, a process tray platform 1850, and apedal 1820 mechanically coupled to two pushers 1822.

The frame 1810 is generally configured to provide a stable support forthe item platform 1830, the source tray platform 1840, the process trayplatform 1850, and the pedal 1820. The frame 1810 includes variousstructural members 1812 and two vertical tracks 1816. As will bedescribed with reference to the pedal 1820, the vertical tracks 1816 areconfigured to accommodate and/or at least partially actuate verticalmovement of the pushers 1822. In various embodiments, the frame 1810 canbe any size, shape, or configuration suitable to support the itemplatform 1830, the source tray platform 1840, the process tray platform1850, and the pedal 1820. For example, the frame 1810 can be built intoa wall, a shelf, a floor, or the like, and need not be a free-standingrectangular frame as shown in the figures.

The process tray platform 1850 is a generally rigid horizontal surfaceincluding two slots 1852. In various embodiments, at least a portion ofthe process tray platform 1850 can be a solid, flat surface, and/or caninclude a textured surface, a grating, a mesh, a plurality oflongitudinal members, or the like. The slots 1852 are sized, shaped, andlocated within the process tray platform so as to allow at least aportion of each of the pushers 1822 to extend through the slots 1852.For example, the slots 1852 can have dimensions at least as large ascross-sectional dimensions of the pushers 1822 such that the pushers1822 can pass through the slots 1852 without obstruction, friction,undue wear and tear, etc. As shown in FIGS. 19-22 , the process trayplatform 1850 has a length and width selected to accommodate a processtray 1890 resting thereon.

The source tray platform 1840 is a shelf located in proximity to theprocess tray platform 1850. In various embodiments, the source trayplatform 1840 can be located at any side proximate the process trayplatform 1850. The source tray platform can include a generally rigidmaterial and/or can be at least partially formed from a texturedsurface, a grating, a mesh, or the like. As shown in FIGS. 19-22 , thesource tray platform 1840 is sized and shaped to receive a source tray1880.

The item platform 1830 is a shelf located at a second location proximatethe process tray platform 1850. The item platform 1830 includes a bottomsurface 1832, a rear surface 1834, and a transition segment 1836. Theitem platform 1830 can include a generally rigid material, and/or can beat least partially formed from a textured surface, a grating, a mesh, orthe like. In some embodiments, the bottom surface 1832 is slantedbackward toward the rear surface 1834, such that items on the itemplatform 1830 rest against the bottom surface 1832 and the rear surface1834, and are thereby prevented from falling off of the item platform1830. The transition segment 1836 is a generally flat surface, such as aramp or slope, contiguous with the bottom surface 1832. The transitionsegment 1836 is sloped in two dimensions. The transition segment 1836 isgenerally sloped downward from the item platform 1830 toward the processtray platform 1850, and further has a transverse frontward slopecomponent to transition from the backward slant of the bottom surface1832 to a level profile at the end of the transition segment 1836adjacent to the process tray platform 1850. As shown in FIGS. 19-22 ,the item platform 1830 is configured to receive items 1805 that are notin a source tray 1880, and to accommodate sliding of the items along thebottom surface 1832 and transition segment 1836 into a process tray1890.

The pedal 1820 is a foot operable pedal disposed in a lower portion ofthe tray content transfer system 1800. The pedal 1820 can be disposed atleast partially within the boundaries of the frame 1810, in a locationwhere it can be accessed and actuated by an operator. The pedal 1820 ismechanically coupled to the pushers 1822, such that depressing the pedal1820 causes the pushers 1822 to travel upward along the vertical tracks1816 and extend at least partially through the slots 1852. Similarly,releasing the pedal upward from a depressed position causes the pushers1822 to travel downward along the vertical tracks 1816 so that the endsof the pushers 1822 do not extend beyond the surface of the process trayplatform 1850. The operation of the pedal 1822 will be described belowwith reference to FIGS. 19-22 .

FIGS. 19-22 sequentially illustrate an example process for transferringthe contents of a source tray 1880 to a process tray 290. Although theprocess of FIGS. 19-22 is shown and described in the context of the traycontent transfer system 1800 depicted in FIG. 18 , it will beappreciated that the same or similar steps may be implemented in anyother tray content transfer system. The process of FIGS. 19-22 can beperformed at least partially manually and/or automatically, for example,by a computer system integrated within a system such as the tray contenttransfer system 1800 depicted in FIG. 18 .

FIG. 19 depicts an initial state of the tray content transfer system1800 for a transfer process. In the initial state, the items 1805 can becontained within the source tray 1880 and/or on the item platform 1830.The items can be, for example, letters, flats, etc. In the initial stateof FIG. 19 , the process tray 1890 has been placed onto the process trayplatform 1850. The process tray 1890 includes a movable inner surface1892 and may further include a divider 1894. The source tray 1880 hasbeen placed onto the source tray platform 1840 so that it sits at anangle relative to the process tray 1890. Alternatively or in addition toplacing the source tray 1880 onto the source tray platform 1840, items1805 can be placed onto the item platform 1830. For example, loose items1805 may not be received in a source tray 1880, and/or an operator ofthe tray content transfer system 1800 may prefer to transfer items froma source tray 1880 to the item platform 1830 rather than place theentire source tray 1880 onto the source tray platform 1840.

After the process tray 1890 has been placed onto the process trayplatform 1850 and the items 1805 have been placed into the system 1800by placing the items 1805 onto the item platform 1830 and/or placing thesource tray 1880 onto the source tray platform 1840, the processcontinues to the configuration shown in FIG. 20 . As shown in FIG. 20 ,the pedal 1820 travels to a depressed position (e.g., by being pusheddownward by a foot of an operator). As the pedal 1820 is depressed, thepushers 1822 travel upward along the vertical tracks 1816. As thepushers 1822 extend through the slots 1852 (not visible in FIG. 20 ),the upper ends of the pushers 1822 push the inner surface 1892 upwardsuch that the inner surface 1892 is at a similar height to the surfaceof the item shelf 1830 at the end of the transition segment 1836. Forexample, the inner surface 1892 of the process tray 1890 may be raisedrelative to the rigid sides of the process tray 1890, as shown in FIG.20 to facilitate the transfer of the items 1805 into the process tray1890. In some embodiments, the system 1800 can include one or moremotors configured to raise the pushers 1822 and/or depress the pedal1820 responsive to an operator input and/or automatically based ondetection of a process tray 1890 on the process tray platform 1850.

Referring now to FIG. 21 , after the pedal 1820 is depressed to raisethe inner surface 1892 of the process tray 1890, the items 1805 aremoved into the process tray 1890. The items 1805 that were contained inthe source tray 1880 can be manually moved horizontally and/orvertically out of the source tray 1880 and placed onto the inner surface1892. In this case, the elevated position of the inner surface 1892 canfacilitate the transfer of the items 1805 from the source tray 1880 tothe process tray 1890, by decreasing the vertical distance the items1805 must be moved manually or mechanically (e.g., by grippers or othermechanical movers as depicted in the other figures), reducing theprobability of dropping the items 1805 during the transfer.

The items 1805 that were located on the item platform 1830 can slidealong the bottom surface 1832 and the transition segment 1836 onto theinner surface 1892 of the process tray 1890. In this case, the elevatedposition of the inner surface 1892 can allow the items 1805 to slidefrom the item platform 1830 into the process tray 1890 at substantiallythe same or similar height, such that the items 1805 do not need to bepicked up and thereby reducing the probability of dropping the items1805 during the transfer. In some embodiments, the sliding of the items1805 along the item platform 1830 can be performed automatically, suchas by one or more paddles or other item moving members sliding the items1805.

Referring now to FIG. 22 , after the items 1805 are moved into theprocess tray 1890, the pedal 1820 is released and moves upward to itsoriginal position. As the pedal 1820 is released, the pushers 1822travel downward along the vertical tracks 1816. When the pushers 1822travel downward, the inner surface 1892 of the process tray 1890 isallowed to travel downward to rest within the process tray 1890. Thesystem 1800 is thus in its original position, and the source tray 1880and process tray 1890 can be removed. In some embodiments, the pushers1822 can be moved downward by one or more motors, responsive to anoperator input or other indication that the items 1805 have beentransferred. The tray content transfer process can be repeatedindefinitely as additional source trays 1880 and/or items 1805 arrivewith contents to be transferred.

FIG. 23A is a front perspective view of a tray content transfer system2300 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. The tray contenttransfer system 2300 generally includes a frame 2310, an item platform2330, a source tray platform 2340, and a process tray platform 2350.

The frame 2310 is generally configured to provide a stable support forthe item platform 2330, the source tray platform 2340, and the processtray platform 2350. The frame 2310 includes various structural members2312 connected to form a stable structure. In various embodiments, theframe 2310 can be any size, shape, or configuration suitable to supportthe item platform 2330, the source tray platform 2340, and the processtray platform 2350. For example, the frame 2310 can be built into awall, a shelf, a floor, or the like, and need not be a free-standingrectangular frame as shown in the figures.

The process tray platform 2350 is a generally rigid horizontal surfacesized to accommodate a process tray. In various embodiments, at least aportion of the process tray platform 2350 can be a solid, flat surface,and/or can include a textured surface, a grating, a mesh, a plurality oflongitudinal members, or the like. As shown in FIGS. 24-27 , the processtray platform 2350 has a length and width selected to accommodate aprocess tray 2390 resting thereon.

The item platform 2330 is a shelf located at a second location proximatethe process tray platform 2350. The item platform 2330 includes a bottomsurface 2332 and a rear surface 2334. The item platform 2330 can includea generally rigid material, and/or can be at least partially formed froma textured surface, a grating, a mesh, or the like. In some embodiments,the bottom surface 2332 can be generally flat, or can be slantedbackward toward the rear surface 2332 (e.g., with a transition segmentprovided similar to the transition segment 1836 depicted in FIG. 18 ).As shown in FIGS. 24-27 , the item platform 2330 is configured toreceive items 2305 that are not in a source tray 2380, and toaccommodate sliding of the items 2305 along the bottom surface 2332 intoa process tray 2390. Accordingly, the height of the bottom surface 2332relative to the height of the process tray platform 2350 may be selectedbased on the thickness of the bottom of a process tray 2390 to be usedwith the tray content transfer system 2300. For example, if the heightdifference between the bottom surface 2332 and the process tray platform2350 is equal to the thickness of the bottom of the process tray, aninner surface of the process tray on the process tray platform 2350 willbe at the same height as the bottom surface 2332 so as to facilitate thesliding of items from the item platform 2330 into the process tray.

FIG. 23B depicts an example process tray 2390 configured for use withthe tray content transfer system 2300 depicted in FIG. 23A. The processtray 2390 includes an inner surface 2392, a movable divider 2394, aremovable end wall 2396, and side walls 2398. The inner surface 2392 andthe side walls 2398 generally support and contain items within theprocess tray 2390. The end wall 2396 can be removed by sliding the endwall 2396 out of the process tray 2390 along the direction indicated byarrow 2397. For example, the end wall 2396 may be removed to allow itemsto be transferred into the process tray 2390 by sliding. After the itemsslide onto the inner surface 2392, the end wall 2396 may be replaced bymoving in a direction opposite arrow 2397. Similarly, the divider 2394may be removed from the process tray 2390 by sliding the divider 2394along the direction indicated by arrow 2395. The divider 2394 may bereinserted at a different location along the inner surface 2392, forexample, based on the amount of space required to accommodate items thatwill be placed into the process tray 2390.

FIG. 24 depicts an initial state of the tray content transfer system2300 for a transfer process. In the initial state, the items 2305 can becontained within the source tray 2380 and/or on the item platform 2330.The items can be, for example, letters, flats, etc. In the initial stateof FIG. 24 , the process tray 2390 has been placed onto the process trayplatform 2350. The divider 2394 has been positioned at an intermediatelocation along the inner surface 2392 of the process tray 2390, forexample, based on the number and/or volume of items 2305 to betransferred. The source tray 2380 has been placed onto the source trayplatform 2340 so that it sits at an angle relative to the process tray2390. Alternatively or in addition to placing the source tray 2380 ontothe source tray platform 2340, items 2305 can be placed onto the itemplatform 2330. For example, loose items 2305 may not be received in asource tray 2380, and/or an operator of the tray content transfer system2300 may prefer to transfer items from a source tray 2380 to the itemplatform 2330 rather than place the entire source tray 2380 onto thesource tray platform 2340.

After the process tray 2390 has been placed onto the process trayplatform 2350 and the items 2305 have been placed into the system 2300by placing the items 2305 onto the item platform 2330 and/or placing thesource tray 2380 onto the source tray platform 2340, the processcontinues to the configuration shown in FIG. 25 . As shown in FIG. 25 ,the removable end wall 2396 has been lifted out of the process tray 2390to enable the sliding of items 2305 from the item platform 2330 into theprocess tray 2390. In the exemplary embodiment depicted, the bottomsurface 2332 of the item platform is at approximately the same height asthe inner surface 2392 of the process tray 2390.

After the removable end wall 2396 has been lifted out of the processtray 2390, the process continues to the configuration shown in FIG. 26 .As shown in FIG. 26 , the items 2305 have been placed into the processtray 2390. The items 2305 previously located on the item platform 2330have been transferred along the bottom surface 2332 of the item platform2330 into the process tray 2390. The items 2305 previously locatedwithin the source tray 2380 have been lifted out of the source tray 2380and lowered into the process tray 2390. In implementations in whichitems 2305 are only being transferred from a source tray 2380 and notfrom the item platform 2330, it will be appreciated that the end wall2396 of the process tray 2390 need not be lifted to facilitate thetransfer of items 2305.

Referring now to FIG. 27 , after the items 2305 are moved into theprocess tray 2390, the end wall 2396 is lowered to the position depictedin FIG. 27 . The process tray 2390 is thus in its original configurationand contains the items 2305 therein. The process tray 2390 can thus beremoved from the system 2300 for further processing or transport of theitems 2305. The tray content transfer process depicted in FIGS. 24-27can be repeated indefinitely as additional source trays 2380 and/oritems 2305 arrive with contents to be transferred.

The foregoing description details certain embodiments of the systems,devices, and methods disclosed herein. It will be appreciated, however,that no matter how detailed the foregoing appears in text, the systems,devices, and methods can be practiced in many ways. It should be notedthat the use of particular terminology when describing certain featuresor aspects of the invention should not be taken to imply that theterminology is being re-defined herein to be restricted to including anyspecific characteristics of the features or aspects of the technologywith which that terminology is associated.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and changes may be made without departing from the scopeof the described technology. Such modifications and changes are intendedto fall within the scope of the embodiments. It will also be appreciatedby those of skill in the art that parts included in one embodiment areinterchangeable with other embodiments; one or more parts from adepicted embodiment can be included with other depicted embodiments inany combination. For example, any of the various components describedherein and/or depicted in the Figures may be combined, interchanged orexcluded from other embodiments.

With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singularterms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from theplural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as isappropriate to the context and/or application. The varioussingular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sakeof clarity.

It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, termsused herein are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term“including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” theterm “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term“includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,”etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if aspecific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such anintent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence ofsuch recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid tounderstanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of theintroductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claimrecitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed toimply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinitearticles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing suchintroduced claim recitation to embodiments containing only one suchrecitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases“one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or“an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “atleast one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use ofdefinite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, evenif a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitlyrecited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitationshould typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number(e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without othermodifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or morerecitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a conventionanalogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in generalsuch a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the artwould understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one ofA, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have Aalone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and Ctogether, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where aconvention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, ingeneral such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill inthe art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at leastone of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that haveA alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and Ctogether, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be furtherunderstood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive wordand/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in thedescription, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplatethe possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, orboth terms. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be understood toinclude the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.”

All references cited herein are incorporated herein by reference intheir entirety. To the extent publications and patents or patentapplications incorporated by reference contradict the disclosurecontained in the specification, the specification is intended tosupersede and/or take precedence over any such contradictory material.

The term “comprising” as used herein is synonymous with “including,”“containing,” or “characterized by,” and is inclusive or open-ended anddoes not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps.

It is noted that some examples above may be described as a process,which is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a structure diagram,or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may describe the operations asa sequential process, many of the operations can be performed inparallel, or concurrently, and the process can be repeated. In addition,the order of the operations may be rearranged. A process is terminatedwhen its operations are completed. A process may correspond to a method,a function, a procedure, a subroutine, a subprogram, etc. When a processcorresponds to a software function, its termination corresponds to areturn of the function to the calling function or the main function.

The above description discloses several methods and materials of thepresent invention. This invention is susceptible to modifications in themethods and materials, as well as alterations in the fabrication methodsand equipment. Such modifications will become apparent to those skilledin the art from a consideration of this disclosure or practice of theinvention disclosed herein. Consequently, it is not intended that thisinvention be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, butthat it cover all modifications and alternatives coming within the truescope and spirit of the invention as embodied in the attached claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for transferring items from a tray, themethod comprising, by an automated process: securing, within a traycontent transfer system, a tray containing one or more items; securingthe one or more items relative to the tray; rotating the tray about arotation axis from an upright orientation to a rotated orientation;while the tray is in the rotated orientation: moving the one or moreitems out of the tray; and moving the one or more items parallel to therotation axis to a position proximate an item receiving location;rotating the tray about the rotation axis from the rotated orientationto the upright orientation; and releasing the one or more items to theitem receiving location.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the rotatedorientation is rotated by at least 90° relative to the uprightorientation.
 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising engaging theone or more items between a plurality of paddles, wherein the one ormore items remain engaged between the plurality of paddles while thetray is in the rotated orientation.
 4. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising resting the one or more items on a substantially horizontalsurface while the tray is in the rotated orientation.
 5. The method ofclaim 1, wherein securing the tray comprises fixing the tray relative toa frame of the tray content transfer system.
 6. The method of claim 5,wherein rotating the tray comprises rotating the frame about therotation axis relative to a ground surface.
 7. The method of claim 1,wherein the method is initiated based at least in part on a detection ofthe presence of the tray within the tray content transfer system.
 8. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the item receiving location is a receptaclespaced from the tray along a direction parallel to the rotation axis. 9.The method of claim 1, wherein the item receiving location is anadditional tray of a different type relative to the first tray.
 10. Amethod for transferring items from a tray, the method comprising, by anautomated tray content transfer system: receiving, within the traycontent transfer system, a tray containing one or more items, the traycomprising two opposing sidewalls having openings extendingtherethrough; inserting end pushers through the openings; contacting atleast one of the one or more items with the end pushers; spacing the oneor more items from the two opposing sidewalls due to the contact withthe end pushers; moving a paddle assembly of the tray content transfersystem to a position at least partially within the tray such that theone or more items are at least partially disposed between a first paddleof the paddle assembly and a second paddle of the paddle assemblyparallel to the first paddle; decreasing a spacing between the firstpaddle and the second paddle such that the first paddle and the secondpaddle each engage at least one of the one or more items; rotating thepaddle assembly and the tray simultaneously about a rotation axisparallel to the paddle axis to a rotated orientation in which the one ormore items rest on one or more item support surfaces of the paddleassembly disposed between the first and second paddles; and transferringthe items from the tray by moving the paddle assembly away from the traywhile the paddle assembly and the tray are in the rotated orientation.11. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more item supportsurfaces comprise a plurality of parallel back plates.
 12. The method ofclaim 11, wherein the plurality of parallel back plates include a firstback plate coupled in a fixed position relative to the first paddle anda second back plate coupled in a fixed position relative to the secondpaddle.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first and second backplates are at least partially overlapping such that the first and secondback plates span substantially the entire distance between the first andsecond paddles.
 14. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or moreitems comprise a stack of flat articles.
 15. The method of claim 14,wherein the flat articles are letters, flats, or a mixture of lettersand flats.
 16. The method of claim 14, wherein inserting the end pusherscompresses the stack.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein decreasing thespacing between the first paddle and the second paddle furthercompresses the stack.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the spacingbetween the first paddle and the second paddle is decreased by a firstdistance, the method further comprising, after decreasing the spacingand before rotating the paddle assembly, increasing the spacing by asecond distance shorter than the first distance to reduce an inwardpressure on the stack.
 19. The paddle assembly of claim 10, wherein thefirst paddle and the second paddle comprise cutouts sized and shaped toaccommodate the end pushers.
 20. The paddle assembly of claim 10,wherein the paddle assembly and the tray are rotated at least 90 degreesabout the rotation axis.